We'll Meet Again
by daisycutters
Summary: When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, Think back to the wonderful times we've been together, And slowly savour, and dream of the soft look, Our eyes had once, and of their shadows deep"----Setotea
1. One Last Time

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Daisycutters: Okay, so this chapter is written in first-person, but only this though (and probably the last chapter if i am encouraged to continue.) The rest will be written in third-person. I hope you like it, i worked hard on this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO!

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SUMMARY: "When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, Think back to the wonderful times we've been together, And slowly savour, and dream of the soft look, Our eyes had once, and of their shadows deep." Y.B. Yeats. 

Life couldn't get any worse for Téa, she had lost her place to stay, her belongings, her dream... basically her everything. And when she thought that everything she had dreamt of is over for this lifetime, a new light shone upon her - except that the person who offered help wasn't anyone who she had expected. Will she grab hold or let the opportunity pass by, again, due to her pride & setting a sight too high? There's only one way to find out.

* * *

* * *

There is a dimly lit lamp on a nightstand beside the half empty bed that shows that Seto is up.  
  
The tawny rays coming from the light bask my cheek with warmth in an unseasonably cold night. Seto must not be far away, I think, taking in the soft and sweet scent that is drifting into my nostrils. I breathe a little more in, committing to memory what his soft bow of neck has smelt like.  
  
"How long have you been up? Up to watch over me?"  
  
Trying to recollect the exact curves of your jaw which grow hazier with time, I make an attempt to open my eyes after what seem like a decade.  
  
"They're firmly stuck been shut for that long." I tell myself.  
  
How pathetic for me to have lost the strength to unseal my own eyelids. It wasn't long ago than I was still able to roam through Domino enjoying the thin night breeze brushing against my skin. Or was it? I suppose I have lost track of time during the blurry days.  
  
Growing more sensitive in hearing during the lucid hours, I concentrate on the tiniest sound my ears can afford to pick up in the huge room. Suddenly hearing a light shuffle and soft footsteps, I picture Seto walking towards me in my head. It isn't long till where the fulvous coloured rays have been overcast by his shadows. My fragile body leans to the right as Seto supports his hunched body with one hand on the soft mattress causing pressure. His other hand gingerly rests on my cooler cheek caressing it with his tenuous index finger. Warmth flooded through my veins giving me hope and courage. But just as I am about to disclose my eyes, the lamp winks. Then a rush of cold air hit my skin which is soon replenished with the body heat of Seto. He nuzzles his nose into my hair, curves an arm around my waist and says in a whisper: "Good night." "He doesn't know I have been conscious." I think while keeping my eyes shut, it would be too dark for me to see anyway. But that one little sentence, its power of comforting me is enormous, relieved of anxiety, I quickly drift off to sleep.  
  
I wake up with a start the next morning, feeling myself been carried in Seto's arms in mid air. He walks gently, stopping at the threshold of what seem like the bathroom to let my head in first. Everything is done like a slow-motion, since Seto doesn't often move that slowly. To my surprise, after some good rest last night, I've regained bit of my strength back. Enough for me to crook the corner of my mouth wee bit anyway, to smile. With a click, the bathroom door is been shut behind us with Seto's back. He continues walking further into the sunlit bathroom, stopping in front of the steel-framed mirror and sits me on top of the bathroom counter. Despite the fact that I am conscious, my body is still limp, been drained weedy of energy.  
  
Leaning me against the mirror softly, he strides away. I shiver at the sudden coldness of the mirror, goose-bumping. Then there is the bickering of water splashing on the smooth, shiny surface of the tub. "He must have noticed those little bumps on my arms when he came back." I am thinking to myself, feeling the gentle back and forth rubbings.  
  
"Cold?" He says, concerned.  
  
I would have kicked myself if I was able to, for not been capable of answering him.  
  
Seto first wraps my hair in a towel and then carefully brings me closer to him, reaching behind my back. He quickly unzips my nightdress and slides it down. Hugging me close to give warmth, he carries me closer to the sound of the fast-running water. I take in heed that he has quickened his pace. Maybe not wanting me to catch cold?  
  
Then there is the abrupt sensation of steamy, hot water surrounding my body. I lie there as Seto washes me gently with a towel.  
  
"It'll get the blood circulating faster." He murmurs, explaining to himself.  
  
It is unbearable for me to know that he never realized that I am awake, that we never held a proper conversation in the past days. They were all one-way; silence took place instead of my responses. Tears suddenly well up in my eyes and there is sourness in my nose. I don't know whether I have the strength left to cry.  
  
'After all the love he has given me, this is what he gets in return?' I cry in my mind, 'A big CEO of the world's leading technology cooperation is kneeling beside a bathtub washing a selfish little "quadriplegic" who cannot do it for herself? ......I am so sorry Seto...Do I really deserve your selfless dedication?'  
  
"You are crying?" It isn't until seconds later I hear Seto croaking out those words. He rubs my tears away with his thumbs, "Can you hear me?" He asks hysterically, this time almost loosing self-control. "Can you?" Finally, he breaks into tears. "This is not what I intend, Seto!" I say in my mind while forcing teardrops down my throat. But to him, there is only silence.  
  
He makes himself busy and carries on, but I can hear soft sobbing and sniffles every now and then. It makes my chest strain and heart ache.  
  
"There isn't much time left of me," I warn myself. Like the old and grey who live in the past, I let those images of my previous years flash before me. I breathe deeply, taking in the warm air of the Kaiba mansion. Though Seto has changed and I have changed, the air itself has not.  
  
I see time flow by backwards, leaving the future in a distance. Energy comes flooding back to my body. I let my mind take over me, sending me back to that fateful time, to where everything has begun, because there is where I want to be, for one last time...

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Daisycutters: so what do you think? Is it good for my very first chapter of my first fanfic? Do you think i droned on too much? is it bit verbose? well i have a thing for details. Review to tell me what you think. Don't be too harsh on words please, be nice and reasonable, thanks!

Thanks to Jodi Picoult who I have adapted ideas from! They say she's a good author, good at what she's doing, but I just can't be absorbed in her story though.


	2. Spring Cleaning

Daisycutters: I am terribly sorry for taking this long, I have to admit, I am being pretty lazy. But I am having a block since I decided to change my intended female protagonist. ^.^ I don't get why this story attracted so many anti-Tea people, but I am sorry, I have made my mind, this is going to be a Seto/Tea story.

Oh and I revised some minor parts in chp. 1 to fit better to my new plot.

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_Spring had come. It had come eventually._

_To most life forms, it meant prosperity, it meant flourish; it brought blossom & it brought beauty; you could feel mirth, comfort & geniality; it is the incarnation of new lease of life. To sum it all up, spring linked its greenness to every wonderful thing that the world had to offer._

Not in the particular point of view of one teenager, though. Had she the time, she would have loved to go out into nature and enjoy the cool humid air on her skin while she inhales the fresh grassy scent emitting from around the place. Leaning against the windowsill she pictured herself waltzing into thick fog in the distance and feeling tiny water droplets tickle her as she swirls into a dancing frenzy. There, she was the center of attention, in the middle of a forest, clad in green attires like a fairy, mixing her maneuvers almost perfectly with her surroundings. Then she heard clapping here and there and slowly, they transformed into thunderous applauses. When she opened her eyes and looked up, she saw money, yes, thousands and_ tens _of thousands of yens worth of paper notes were drifting down on her. On pure reflex, she reached both her hands out and tried to grab them, forgetting all about the grace & refinement that she had exhibited moments ago.

_Snap._

Tea Gardner had just snapped out of her reverie a little fazed. It was embarrassing to have had such an imagination about money & glory. But she had to admit, she needed money, the graduation drawing near reminding her more so. The past year lapsed by so quickly, she would be going for the last year in high school when this spring holiday ends. That meant by then she should have saved up most of the money that she needed to provide herself with accommodation and food in New York, _if_ she was given a scholarship for the study. The idea of that, however, seemed so far away to Tea.

_But right now_, she thought to herself observing her little apartment and all those splayed out contents, _it is the right time for a huge spring cleaning!_

So Tea set out to clean and tidy her room first, she bent down and reached under her bed. It was quite amusing how many varieties of items she could retrieve from under that big devouring mouth. She didn't think herself as a floppy person but every spring time when it came to cleaning, incredulous she did become. She pulled out a bunch of old wrinkly magazine first, and then out came crumples of worksheets, a few test papers with not-so pleasing marks on them. Tea chucked all of those into a waste basket and reached under for more. This time her fingers rested on something smooth and as she pulled it out, it revealed a laminated class photo.

At the bottom it read:

_Class 2-A_

_Domino High School_

_So this is where it went, I totally forgot about its very existence... _Tea thought as she wiped heavy dust away from the photo which was taken in the beginning of the year. Her eyes scanned through the photo looking for familiar faces.

_Yugi..._ She looked at the small boy on the far left side in the front. Tea chuckled as she remembered that he had to sit in the front with the girls because of his height. In the picture he was smiling a little red faced._ That boy is like no other, with a destiny bigger than life. He is so sure of where his life is heading, unlike me. _They had talked about their futures before, he had told her that he was going to help Yami find our his past, to retrieve his memory, and after that he would help run the shop with his grandpa and hopefully when they have earned enough money they would refurbish & expand Turtle Game Shop. They had to compete with Duke Devlin's mall howsoever.

"What about you, Tea?" Yugi had said.

"Me? Well, I always wanted to study dance in New York, but... I need to earn money as well. But if I don't get accepted, then... don't really know what I would do..." Tea's voice faltered against her will despite her effort.

Joey side-glanced her and pointed his index finger upwards while trying to swallow his big doughnut like a python. He made a futile attempt to speak with his stuffed mouth but then gave up.

"Tea, you know what?" He said finally, "Don't sound so unsure, I'm sure you'll get-in! Even you if you don't you'll still go to uni, right?" He glanced at her reaction but did not wait for an answer, "You know my sister, Serenity? When we were little I promised her that I would take her to see all the beautiful places in Japan, and when I get the bucks, around the world." He paused there, "I am thinking about being a police along with Tristan, it had being a childhood dream of ours. I know that I won't get paid much but at least it's the first step, you know?"

"Yeah!" Tristan cut in, "We might even become generals one day and defend for our country!" He held his fist in front of him & looked up as he said that.

Yugi chucked and said, "That is after Yami saved you two from that big bully."

"It's not funny, Yug!" Joey protested. But he quickly forgot about it as he argued with Tristan on who could be a better police/general.

Yugi turned back to Tea who was sitting opposite him, "I would double-check the doors and windows if either Joey or Tristan ends up patrolling around my neighbourhood --- not much help at all."

Joey who was too engaged in the bickering with Tristan threw an "I heard that!' to Yugi and went back to whatever he was arguing.

Tea looked up from her drink and managed a weak smile towards Yugi.

The rest of the lunchtime went by with Joey & Tristan's bickering in background and silence from both Yugi & Tea.

*

Tea's eyes moved to people at the back rows in the photo. She stopped as her eyes focused on Seto Kaiba. A dominating coldness suddenly pulsated from the photo into her hands and up her arms made her shiver all over. "Hem, I wonder if he _ever_ cares to buy a class photo." She said, acerbity evident in her voice. _But it's not his fault to have become so cold hearted; you can't find another 16 year old person in Japan as a CEO of such a large company. Sometimes I don't know whether to envy or sympathize him._

Then she looked for herself. She was in the middle of the second row smiling brilliantly like there wasn't a thing to care about in the world. _That was before the 'Burger World Incident' of course. _She thought to herself sarcastically.

Not wanting to ruin the rest of the day, Tea decided to indulge herself with cleaning and push all those worries aside for the time being. So she turned on the radio loud and hummed with the tunes while she cleaned.

*

"Big Brother!" Mokuba yelled as he sprinted into Seto Kaiba's office turning on the TV there.

"What?" Seto mumbled.

"Watch!!! It says that there is going to be an earthquake next week!" Mokuba answered.

Seto Kaiba turned around in his swivel chair and stared at the screen. There, a lady dressed in tailored suit in her mid-thirties was speaking in the TV.

_..."warning of an earthquake around seven days from now on. It is estimated that the earthquake might reach around three on the Richter Scale, so it is advisable to stay home and be ready to hide under stable shelters like tables, counters, or closets. If those are not found where you are, then stay under a stable door frame or corner of two conjoint walls, try to be as close as possible to the ground. Please do not panic during the earthquake, seek help & wait for rescue if in any difficult situation. There will be more update on the earthquake through the next few days."_

"What should we do Seto? What if our mansion falls down?" Mokuba was getting really scared.

"It's okay, Mokuba, she said that the earthquake is only around three on the Richter Scale, it's not that big. Plus didn't I tell you that our mansion is built on a semi-sphere* foundation? No matter how violent the earthquake is, our mansion will only tilt but not fall because the semi-sphere distributes the seismic force evenly." Seto said calmly.

The atramentous haired boy was reassured of the upcoming disaster after listening to Seto's explanation, but more due to his brother's calmness. He decided to leave his brother alone to do his work so he turned off the TV and left for the lounge.

After Mokuba exited the room, Seto signed. _The least I want to do is to make my brother feel safe in his own home._

*

She wiped beads of sweat off her forehead with her sleeve and breathed in long and hard. A whole day's cleaning had totally worn her out. Tea slacked into the couch and looked around the room, please with her achievement. The windows glistened as streaks of golden sunlight cascaded onto her freshly-vacuumed carpet. Just as quickly, the afternoon sun hid its face behind a fluffy cloud and then came out shining onto the world again. She watched as objects in her apartment happily responded to the rays of sunlight by reflecting them all, almost blinding her eyes. _Everything is so full of vitality; I wish that I was one of them. _Tea at that moment believed in animism. 

Lazily, she reached out and picked up a book/memento display box. It was made with finely carved mahogany wood and it had a bevelled glass opener. Like always, Tea awed at how exquisite the box was. The bevels of the glass filtered sunlight and separated it into seven different colours the way it's like when petrol was dried on the ground. But what is more valuable and precious to Tea was what was inside. Tea slowly lifted up the glass and carefully took out an ancient yellowed book, or rather, diary, with tattered edges. It was her grandmother's diary, ever since she passed away in Tea's early childhood, Tea kept this diary close to her. It was the only thing left of her grandma because all other belongings were buried with her or sold or threw away. Tea had only a faint memory of her grandma, but what she was sure of was that she was the most lenient person she had ever known. Although as close as packed herrings Tea was to her grandma, but she had never read the diary. She felt that it was a violation of privacy, even a dead person deserved to be respected of their past belongings and privacy. That was why Tea loathed her parents for chucking and selling her grandma's things like that, like it was no big deal, like it was one small way to earn money. She had vowed to never act like her parents.

_Not before, not now, not ever!_

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**Semi-sphere foundation**: I think that I read somewhere that it is very good at withstanding earthquakes, but can't be sure. If anyone knows anything please tell me, thanks! 

Daisycutters: Wow, I actually finished my second chapter, what do you think? Review please, give me some feedbacks. I really need to know if you liked it or not and whether I should continue.

ALL my reviewers: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU JUST FOR REVIEWING; SORRY I AM A BIT TOO LAZY TO NAME YOU ALL. ^.^' Bear with me please?

To lunar dragon, the first chapter is written in the view of the injured girl but not when she is old though, hint hint.

Raigeki-Star, I signed your guestbook did you see it? ^.^

Thank you again to all of you, whether you flamed, gave opinions or praised. I heard your voices and took it into account but as some of you have said, the decision is mine and I hope that you will respect it as much as I respected yours. ^.^


	3. Shock

Daisycutters: Ooof, that was hard getting this chapter out! Finally I invented a much more quicker way of encountering Téa and Kaiba. 

In the last chapter, basically, if you have forgotten, Tea was doing her spring cleaning when she found her school photo. She retraced her memories of her friends and of course, Seto Kaiba. She also marvelled at a book/momento box and thought about her diseased grandmother. On the other hand, the Kaiba brothers heard the report on an up & coming earthquake.

Nothing much happened I know, but I assure you that it is getting better!

* * *

_

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Home, to Téa, would only be what she made of it deep down, behind those blind emotions which evaded her real true feelings.  
  
Occasionally she wondered, if someone had asked her, "Do you believe in true love?" She would most likely nod showing that she did. Such simple mindedness, No different to her parents at all, no.  
  
Téa was, in fact, the primary witness of her parents' infatuation even after so many years. But she never felt like that she had being at the receiving end of their love. She saw herself as a by-product you sometimes get after a violent chemical combustion as it was.  
  
However she had not seen all. All she could make of her parents' passion were judgments based on jealousy.  
  
Nothing ever stays the same, nothing ever has, and nothing is ever as guided and transparent as they seem. She has not experienced; likewise she has no right to judge._

* * *

Gently knocking on the painted white door, Téa leaned in & listened with both her ears pricked for sounds. She did not expect Ms. Tanaka to rise this early, it was seven-thirty in the morning after all. To her surprise & relief, this well-aged lady did actually wake at this time of day.  
  
"Good gracious Téa! What are you doing in front my door at seven-thirty?" Inquired Ms. Tanaka as she scanned Téa tip to toe. "Oh, I see! You are good for some jogging?" She paused and tilted her head at that, "Well, darling, I am not fit for any exercise as of old."  
  
Téa giggled, "Nope, I am not here to ask you to jog with me!" She looked at the old lady for a moment then exclaimed, "This is such a pretty dress!"  
  
"Oh," Ms. Tanaka acted as if she was surprised, "Teenage girls like you don't often appreciate flowery dresses like this one." She said, "So Téa, darling, why are you looking for me so early?"  
  
"Mmm. I thought that since I am going for some serious hiking, will you buy some grocery things for me? I only need a cob loaf, a flour loaf, four hamburger rolls, two knot rolls, a 500g net margarine, those of my favourite junk foods, and any green veggies that you think will make me healthier."  
  
Téa rested her index finger just below her bottom lip as she stared at the not-so-high ceiling, "bring me some meat as well, as much as I want to control my weight, humans are omnivores!"  
  
She let her hand fall to her side but brought it up just as quickly, "I almost forgot! If you bought that many bread, they would for sure give you a free everyday loaf which I would pass on to you as a 'thank you gift'!"  
  
At last she shut her mouth & beamed at Ms. Tanaka as if she had just helped her through a terrible episode of life. She laughed when she saw the blank expression & continuous blinking on the lady's face. "It's okay," said Tea with a motherly tone, "I've already written a list!"  
  
Swiftly, Téa pulled out a _short _shopping-list from her pocket. There she simply scrawled down _"A week's bread & cheese."  
_  
"Thank God!" Ms. Tanaka uttered. "But I suppose you don't want the dress of mine, I thought there was at least one youth on the planet who had taste."  
  
"Alright, I've got to get going, thank you!" Téa called back delightedly while waving good-bye.  
  
Slip in hand, Ms. Tanaka softened her eyes as she watched Téa's lissome figure trace a brisk line down the stairs, & thought to herself:  
  
_Don't know how she became of her, but it's certainly not her grandmother who she inherited from._ __

* * *

"Ouch!"  
  
Before Téa knew she fell head first onto the muddy earth.  
  
"If i recall correctly, two seconds ago I was still standing on top of this mountain. How could I trip over when no one had pushed me? Has the dust from cleaning got into my mind?"  
  
But what she felt & heard next answered her question: vibrations of the earth beneath her followed an unpleasant low-pitched grawl. Images began to move in front of Téa's eyes, unsure of her position, she lost balance and rolled quickly down the steep hill...

* * *

Somewhere in the city Seto Kaiba's limousine wove through evacuating people at an amazingly _slow_ speed.  
  
"Now if you don't drive any more faster, not will you be fired but my lawyers will be waiting to see you about endangering Mokuba & myself!" Seto Kaiba couldn't have yelled any louder.  
  
Too many things were going on at once: Mokuba was on the verge of tears, they were in the middle of "only the driver knows where", people were yelling and shouting and crying and pushing around them, but worst of all, an earthquake was hitting Domino.  
  
_Damn it!_ Seto Kaiba cursed in his mind. How could he be stupid enough to let himself in such an awkward postion? He _knew_ that he shouldn't have trusted the local weather forecast. _His_ technology would have warned him _way _before when this happened. But all was too late, when it hit, he & Mokuba would still be stuck in this god-awful limousine, with this subhuman driver wetting his pants.  
  
Seto Kaiba fiddled with his laptop once again, all was in vain, network was not responding. Something must have damaged the server.  
  
"Se-Seto.. are w-we go-goin to be ookay?"  
  
"Have I ever let you down? Trust me, Mokuba."  
  
"Ido trust in _you-u!_ Bu-but it's not you who-who is driving."  
  
The shock was severing, most people have evacuated out of the streets, a few foolish people have abandoned their vehicles. Fragile buildings were toppling over the main roads, the chances of getting to his mansion was slim.  
  
"Stop it! Damn it! Stop the car! Stop right here!" Seto Kaiba managed his most outrageous yell. There were neither cables nor building around this secluded area so if they just stayed inside the limousine, nothing should be able to hurt them.  
  
"Why, why do we s-stop, big, b-brother?" Mokuba shrank into a ball. "W- wouldn't the, the ground s-swallow-w u-us?"  
  
"Don't scare youself." But he had to admit, he was pretty nervous himself. The last time Seto Kaiba encountered an earthquake was in his childhood when Mokuba was not born. He was safe in the arms of his parents.  
  
Mokuba stared out the window. "Look! There's a person there! By the mountain! She seems to be h-hurt."  
  
Seto Kaiba averted his gaze to where his little brother was pointing. There was a person there, and not in good shape, but who ever he or she was, that person was at least 50 meters from where the limousine were. Seto Kaiba was not ready to risk his life for someone he doesn't even know let alone care.  
  
"I th-think we should hel-help her..." Mokuba said.  
  
"She is safe there." Kaiba cut his little brother off.  
  
"Bu-but the t-trees..."  
  
_Okay maybe I shouldn't just leave someone to die when I had the ability to save it. At least Yugi and his followers are not here to watch. They'd probably think that I am a kind person._ While thinking to himself, Kaiba opened the door of his limo.  
  
"Be careful, Big Brother!" Yelled Mokuba, fixating his gaze on Seto as if his big brother would suddenly disappear if he stopped watching.  
  
Cursing under his breath about this misfortune, Kaiba trudged difficultly towards the figure lying in grass. As he approached closer, something familiar about the figure hit him. It was for sure a female now. But who is she?  
  
_Wait a sec, isn't that Tea Garnder?! What is she doing by the mountain? Or should I say on TOP of the mountain? Judging by her wounds she must have rolled down during the shock.  
_  
Kaiba quickly picked her up but before he could walk a big tremor abruptly shook the ground beneath him so that he fell forward. Kaiba peered at the limo as he steadied himself again. Even though the windows were tinted, but he could swear that he felt that idiotic chauffeur laughing at him when he plunged down.  
  
Mokuba couldn't wait till Seto got into the limo, he was already shouting exclaimations. "Oh my god, this is Tea! What happened to her? She's so lucky that I saw her! What should we do?"  
  
Seto's mind was clouded. The last thing he needed was to have one of Yugi's best friends beside him. Worse, she is the one who Yugi likes. Seto felt bitter. She had all the best friends, grades and life in the world that even _he_ had to help her.  
  
The earthquake was becoming more violent. Seto refused to think. Mokuba was staring at Tea's resting form. The chauffeur was doing god knows what...  
  
Windows of the limo clattered as if chattering amoungst themselves of this uncanny experience. The laptop beside Seto's feet plunged heavily onto his foot. _Ouch. _Fingers groped handrails for security. They clutched it so tightly that blood was unable to reach the tips so they became pale.

Below the mountainside a tree was lifted off the earth, it knocked over another bendy sickly tree & they tumbled down together.

Suddenly a devastating wave had the concrete protrude up & sent the limo flying forward two meters. The landing was pretty rough and it stirred Téa: _Oh, do I have to get up this early? I am not done with sleeping yet.  
_  
But slowly opening her eyes she saw a tinted glass in front of her. _What? Am I not in bed at home? Oh yeah! I was hiking... and then...  
_  
"Hey-y Téa you are awake!" Said Mokuba happily.  
  
Tea nearly jumped. "Mokuba? why are you here?" She turned around, "Kaiba?!"  
  
"Don't you see? You are in our limous.." Another big tremor shut Mokuba off.  
  
The tremor caused a small bump of the limo and it seemed to have knocked some sense into Téa. "Oh my god, we are in the middle of an earthquake!"  
  
"Calm down, Gardner. It was slow enough for you to realize but I wish that you wouldn't come to realization of it at all." Scoffed Kaiba.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Said Téa sarcastically.  
  
In an impulsion Téa tried to get out of the limousine but was forced to slump down again when ache all over her body protested for the first time since her revival.  
  
"Téa! Don't move, you are hurt! Exclaimed Mokuba.  
  
She looked at herself and was suddenly caught in self-pity and shame. Being in Kaiba's limo was just very... uncomfortable.

* * *

A few hours had passed quietly inside the limousine. Far off in the distance, over the deep murmurs of seismic wave surrounding them, they could hear heavy objects smashing onto the ground. There were also the sounds of a mixture of grief and protest and wonder poured out by the voices of countless invisible people in that same low crying murmur.  
  
The sun was setting. It was getting late. Soon it was going to be dark.  
  
In the limo, someone was constantly shifting, someone's stomach was growling, someone else broke wind & it was definitely Mokuba who was making tiny squeaky sounds.  
  
"Have we any hope of getting home today?" Téa forced something out finally when she couldn't bear the thick atmosphere no more.  
  
"Have you any idea when the quake is going to cease?" Spat Kaiba.  
  
Tea was getting very frustrated, "look Kaiba, I am trying to be friendly but you are constantly ruining my mood!"  
  
"So are you."  
  
Biting her lip, Téa fidgeted once more. _I guess I _am_ demanding too much from him. I still havn't got over the shock of being, well,_ invited _into his limo.  
_  
Without any warning, the tremor stopped. Noise in the distance began to fade. The eardrums of everyone in the limo was suddenly unused to such silence.  
  
Everyone gave off a wavering sigh, fingers loosened from the handrail slowly & stiffly. Kaiba kicked the quake-beaten laptop away from his toes. Before anyone else could manage to release the tension that had been built up in their heartstrings, Mokuba blurted, "Are we safe now, big brother? I want to go home!"  
  
"DRIVE!" Kaiba simply commanded and the vehicle started to move at once.

* * *

"Aww... lighter... lighter..." Mokuba was applying some kind of unknow liquid onTéa's wounds and the stinging sensation was just a bit too much for her.  
  
Téa looked at her new surroundings: things were very simple & curt in this room. The comfy double bed she was sitting on was covered with brand new looking white sheets. Curtains welcomed a flourish of tranquil moonlight. She stared absently at the luminous cresent slightly above the middle pane of the French window while Mokuba helped her with the wounds. A familiar sensation suddenly took over her soul.  
  
_I can't seem to remember the first night when I looked upon the icy moon & feel its cool luminance light my darkest lonely hours. For years the moon had being the only nightly companion to coo me into sleep & to shower darkness away from my atrium.  
  
_On cue it hit her that she had being out the whole day & never once had she seen her home during or after the earthquake. She turned to face Mokuba who she anxiously started at for the next few minutes. Bouncing straight up after he had finished the treatment Téa was ready to leave.  
  
Mokuba stared at Téa curiously, "why are you getting up? You need some rest."  
  
"Thank you so much Mokuba," replied Téa, "but I have to go home now, it is enough trouble for both you and your bother."  
  
"No," persuaded Mokuba big-eyed, "he wouldn't mind if you stayed here tonight, it's getting really dark outside and it wouldn't be safe if you left alone."  
  
Just as he finished speaking, Kaiba came in the guest room. "Thought you'd be needing these." He mumbled indifferently. Kaiba walked passed Mokuba and Téa where he headed stright to the conjoint bathroom. As soon as he went in he came out again, not casting any look on Téa he directed himself to the door. "Mokuba, is it done?"  
  
"Umm, Kaiba," murmured Téa nervously, "thank you for your hospitality. I wouldn't want to cause further inconvenience so may I ask if I can _leave_ now?"  
  
"No." He replied curtly.  
  
Téa was getting angry at Kaiba's rudeness once more, "Why not?"  
  
"How stupid of you to ask. You saw how bad the conditions of the roads were. What? Did you expect me to send a chopper for you to get back to your kennel as well? Not in this lifetime, nor the next, Gardner!" Grunted Kaiba impatiently as he stomped out of the room.  
  
Téa watched him go while trying to restrain tears from pouring out. She could vaguely hear Mokuba's comforting voice saying something along the lines of "sorry", "he didn't mean it" & "you can stay here tonight and go back tomorrow".  
  
What Téa did feel was that she never wanted to see Kaiba or enter his household again. She wished that she could dig a hole right there & then & hide inside its darkness and never come out again. Never had she been humiliated like this. Her cheeks were burning but her hands were cold. Her heart was icy. No more warmer than Seto Kaiba's. Not at that moment anyway.

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Daisycutters: So my little chapter is finished, what do you think? Good? Better? Bad? Worse? Whatever you think, I'll try to get the next chapter out quicker this time.

Raigeki-Star: Thank you for your compliment. I hope that you haven't lost the interest in my story yet since I am such a slow updater!

Caeli Et Terra: Wow! You really think that my writing is this good? I don't write or read very often so I don't know what kind of stories people enjoy butI feel so proud now. Hoho getting on top of herself And hey that wasn't the ending-ending. Just one chapter, two more have being updated. See?

What the ..??: You'll find out if you keep on reading! Here's the chapter.

Sojin Jang: Thank you for your tip. You've certainly got a point. But the choice is mine, right?

Dark Hole Star!: Most of the reviews seem to agree with you but you are right. I should only listen to myself and write what I am comfortable with.

Yushi : Hoho feel less sorry for Tea now. I've given her a chance. A very BIG chance in fact.

kaji: Oh yes I am going to update alright. But your email doesn't seem to be working.

Lunar Dragon 209: Thank you thank you! You are the most enthusiatic reviewer! Love your attitude, it motivates me to write more! Hope that you are satisfied with this chapter.

belle-fille1: Hey you write not bad yourself! There are a couple of your stories that I like very much! You'll find out what happens next if you keep on reading of course! Surprises are just around the cornor. Hoho

LadySilverDragon2: Hope that you are not confused anymore. Here's my third chapter. I don't think it's half as confusing as the previous ones. Have fun reading.

Random Insane Person: You really love the way I write? Thank you so much! I love Tea too & Seto also! We have something in common so hope that you'll like this chapter!

Azurite: Oh my god, such compliment from a great authoress like you! Your "Blue Eyes and Apricots" is real cool, someone was right about it being too feminine though. And what was the heads-up thing you were talking about? o.O

Darkness Falls1: Oh dear, a few people seem to have gotten confused over the 1st chapter. Silly me. How should I make it better? Oh well, it's taken me so long to get this chapter out so revising now won't be a good idea...

Dragon Faere: Thank you! You've seriously got some idea of what this story is about. Hoho Hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Not that sad but still a little depressing. Why?! Am i a pessimistic person?

Vaz1201 and Demona: Now I am beginning to think that there are quite some reviewers supporting my couple. Yay! Search for this couple and there should enough for you to read on FF. But hey, there's quantity but not as much have quality.

Atlantis2: Really? Did I really achieve the effect of a tear jerker?! Finally I've had the chance to update in my long weekend. Yep, it is well worth the time alright! Sadly I've to say, the girl IS probably who you think it is, but wouldn't you be disappoint as well if she wasn't? In my opinion you write awesome fics as well!

Cocoa1331: Thank you for making this one of your favourites. Hope that it can continue impressing you in the future.

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So everyone, bye for now. I'll be looking forward to all your reviews. I am very hungry of feedbacks right now. Until next time, see ya! 

Oh and i have to give credits to Lei who has helped me with my writing. (The first part of this chapter in italics.) And also the great author H.E. Bates for a few sentences that I just can't seem to construct nicely. Hoho


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